VideoGamer.com Plays July 22, 2012

The games we've been playing this week.

I bought Deus Ex Human Revolution for about a fiver when gamestation was flogging most its pre-owned stock earlier in the year, but I've only just given the game a whirl. I wasn't expecting to play a sci-fi CoD, but I was expecting a better, more exciting opening than what I got. I know the game is supposed to go up numerous notches on the brilliance barometer once the augs have kicked in properly, but the first 30 minutes of this left me feeling a bit meh.

In an age where the opening few minutes of a game are usually full of spectacular set pieces and OMG WOW WTF moments, a fairly dull trundle around a sci-fi lab complex, with some objects on fire and the odd innocent being shot, felt rather uninspired.

Still, with my expectations lowered perhaps the game will have an easier time impressing me going forward. I'm not convinced Human Revolution is really my kind of game, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Oh, and I'm still playing New Star Soccer. I am going through a rough patch at the moment, not helped by my girlfriend doing an interview with the press and slagging off the manager - not what I needed on the back of being dropped to the subs bench.

Gosh, it's hard isn't it? I can't remember the last time I had to do so much research for a game, so much prep work before delving in. And to a certain extent it was all for naught, too. If you're not a veteran of the MOBA scene, I'm not convinced that any amount of reading or YouTubing can prepare you for Dota 2, for all the things you need to remember and keep track of. Your first Dota 2 match will likely be a remarkably intense experience; in my case, most of my advance plans were lost when my brain melted into sludge and trickled out my ears.

But I tell you this – there's definitely something important in this whole MOBA business. I can't recall the last game that drove me to watch a 40-minute strategy video, and happily at that.

£1.59. That's the price of a slice of curiosity. Curiosity has currently cost me £4.77. Plus I bought the Fearless Badger (Imeancomeonlookathimhe'sabadgerforcryingoutloud) so make the running total £7.26. £7.26? Free to play? Balls to that. The game isn't even out and I'm forking over fistfuls of cash.

Fact: you haven't really played Dota 2 until you've felt the pain of forking over £1.59 for a virtual key because you want to open a digital box that may or may not have something good in it. You're still at the dipping-your-toes-in stage if you haven't looked wistfully over at the Dr Kleiner announcer pack and thought, yeah, I'll probably buy that the next time I come home smashed.

Actually playing Dota 2 feels like walking a tightrope over a pit of lava while your friends are throwing stones at your face and your enemies, well, your enemies just have rocket launchers and a steady aim. The chances of you actually walking that slither of string are minuscule, but you so desperately want to be able to do it.

Heck, it's a tough game. It took me about fifteen minutes to even explain why it was called Dota 2 the other day. But it gets to you. This morning I thought about making a YouTube video pledging my love to the Skeleton King. I still might.

I'm at 15.7 hours played. That's more than most games, but in Dota 2 I'm still at the stage of turning up to work on your first day wearing a suit and not knowing where everything is. From what I've been told I'm about 25 hours away from smart casual and automatic knowledge of the coffee machine (read: understanding terms like 'Rosh' and knowing never to lark about in the river unless you're a suicidal pr**k, which is something I was called last night for larking about in the river).

I realise that there's a statistical certainty that absolutely zero of you are reading this. It's okay, I get it, VideoGamer.com is a site that tailors itself to console gamers and you're probably a console gamer. So am I. But, but, I think Dota 2 is going to consume the world and have us all drumming our fingers on tables thinking about whether we can fork out another £1.59 this month even though we shouldn't be. Games journalists especially seem to be desperately trying to work it out right now as we all collectively do our best to not suffer the fate of the dinosaurs in the next three years.

So, yeah, Dota 2 can go and royally eff itself. And by that I, of course, mean it's probably Game of the Year.

18 Comments

User Comments

Tom, I can't help but agree with you on Deus Ex. I've been playing it this week too and it just seems to be level after level of sneaking by loads of security guards, who if you took on all-guns-blazing you wouldn't stand a chance. Like you, i'm hoping it gets better.

On a foolish whim I purchased Junk Jack on my iPad last night. Having had a quick go on Minecraft earlier, and having removed Terraria from my Mac (so as to render my laptop distraction free during this horrible critical editing period - of which I am only one-quarter of the way through!!), it sounded like a nice little £2 purchase.

...

Sooooooo addictive! And with a big update apparently coming this week, emphasis lies on hunting for recipes and rare treasures/trophies, while building an impressive house to hold them all. Methinks I might have to put the iPad in another room while I work... there's always one more spot you could dig around in! :p Thoroughly recommended.

I somewhat resent it for interfering with the hours of interview preparation that I should be doing for this week. On the other hand, if I don't get a new job I can just stay at my current one and play SpaceChem all day because I can get away with it.

Here's my needlessly convoluted solution for 'Settling into the Routine'YouTube Video
The video rendering for this is crap because the reactors are so hard to see.

Was busy over the weekend so not had the chance to play more than a few hours. I'm busy now as well unfortunately :(

I'm at the first level where you get reactors that only either create or break bonds, and my plan has been foiled by the second assembly reactor not being able to get a OHMYGOD I think I just figured it out brb...

[edit] Oh wow. Just realised how hideously overcomplicated I have made this solution. Will try and upload it to Youtube...

I getting my way thought Burnout Paradise City which while taking some time is still lots of fun.
Finished the Zombie Island of Dr Ned which was such a good way to go after the end game. Started the The Secret Armory of General Knoxx and finding that my weapons might not be cut out for it. Which is a shame as I thought just for once I have a good selection.

I got a few games from Steam that Iv been playing. Portal, Puzzle Dimension, Cthulu Saves the World, Audiosurf, and just picked up a Worms Golf game lol. Now if I see Vessel going for under a fiver Il be set.